Showing posts tagged as "kelp forest"
What’s it like to be a volunteer diver? This is as close as you can get without getting wet!
Is it a dance? An embrace? No one on staff had ever seen the likes of this recent exchange between a wolf eel and volunteer diver Mike Guardino in our Kelp Forest exhibit. Thanks to visitor Crystal McKenzie for the fantastic video!
What animals can you identify in our new live HD Kelp Cam? (Now including multiple views!) Let us know in the comments!
Mealtime can get pretty exciting in the Kelp Forest! We invite your creative caption!
People tell us they love these two huge exhibits, which supply diver’s-eye views of the ocean around us. Which is YOUR favorite?
Vote now via your desktop or your mobile.
There have been some strange things going on in our exhibits lately.
Been there? Our famed Kelp Forest exhibit is a world of wonder, perfectly expressed in this photo from visitor Olivia Bradbury Nelson.
Today’s fun fact for Shark Week: How many shark species can you see when you visit? We have hammerhead and sandbar sharks in the Open Sea; leopard sharks in our Kelp Forest, Aviary and Deep Reefs; horn and swell sharks in our Enchanted Kelp Forest touch pools. We have sevengills, spiny dogfish and angel sharks in Monterey Bay Habitats. In summer we’ve had a white shark in the Open Sea. We have guitarfish in the Aviary and skates and rays in many exhibits. Okay, which species is this?
Did you know that we give our giant sea bass freshwater baths? This keeps them free of “flukes”—small animals that adhere to the fish like ticks on a dog. The baths also allow us to measure and weigh the fish, and assess their health. Since the last check in November 2010, one bass in our Kelp Forest gained 5.3 pounds and 2.4 inches in length, and is now 45 pounds and 37 inches!
Male or female? Male sheephead (Semicossyphus pulcher) are larger, with black tail and head sections; and wide, reddish orange midriffs. Female sheephead are dull pink with white undersides. To make things more confusing, all sheephead are born female, and change sex following environmental clues we don’t fully understand. Ever spotted one in our Kelp Forest exhibit? Male or female?
